Fans choose Peyton Hillis as the Madden 12 cover athlete

After a tough month long competition in which more than 12.7 million votes were cast, Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis has been chosen by the fans as the new cover athlete for Madden 12.
In the final round of the competition Hillis defeated Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick with 66% of the votes. With Vick’s criminal past associated with dog fighting and animal cruelty, this doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

In the overall rankings though, Hillis was the No. 10 seed, making his win all the more impressive, beating out the likes of Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers.

“Our fans have responded in record-setting fashion to honor Peyton Hillis, and we’re extremely pleased to welcome him into an exclusive fraternity of NFL players to appear on the cover of the Madden NFL franchise,” said Anthony Stevenson, Senior Product Manager of EA SPORTS. “This year’s cover voting campaign with ESPN has sparked incredible debate and conversation amongst fans and NFL players, which is a testament to the interest in and anticipation for Madden NFL each year. The amount of support that Hillis generated nationally and within his home market of Cleveland was truly impressive. ”

As for Peyton Hillis himself, here’s what he had to say on the honor:

“This has been a humbling experience and I want to thank all the fans in Cleveland and throughout the country that got behind me and voted each and every week,” said Peyton Hillis. “I’ve been playing Madden NFL for ten years, and it’s a dream to know that I’ll be on the cover of this great game. I’m looking forward to another big season with the Browns to show fans how much we appreciate them.”

Madden fans, how do you feel with Peyton Hillis being selected to represent the game? Who would you have liked to see on the cover if not him?